School: Novgorod

The Birth of Christ

58,5 x 43,6 cm

Date: 1475 circa
Medium: Tempera on wood panel

Introduction

The iconography of The Birth of Christ is one of the most famous and widespread iconographies of early Russian Orthodoxy. As tradition dictates, the wooden panel was painted using the tempera painting technique and dates from around 1475. The work originates from an ancient stone church dedicated to St. Nicholas, located in the village of Gostinopol'e which was part of an ancient monastery near Novgorod, a city in north-west Russia, which was very old and important due to its strategic location and lively trade. Initially, the work was included in the level of the iconostasis, i.e. the wall made entirely of iconographies that, inside Orthodox sanctuaries, separates the aisles for the faithful from the apse where the altar is located. The iconostasis is usually composed of several superimposed levels of icons, each with its own theme. The second, starting at the bottom, is the feast register. In Gostinopol'e's iconostasis, the feast registry was intended to be accompanied by the prophets' registry with the same number of icons and positioned in the section below. The artists who painted the iconographies of the two registers, therefore, paired the depictions so that on each individual section a feast was painted in the lower part and the prophet in the upper part. The iconography is based on texts from the Gospels and apocryphal sources, i.e. texts not recognised by the official Church, but very interesting for the artists, who needed alternative elements to enrich the scenes to be depicted.

The work is located at the Gallerie d'Italia - Vicenza.

The iconography of The Birth of Christ is one of the most famous and widespread iconographies of early Russian Orthodoxy. As tradition dictates, the wooden panel was painted using the tempera painting technique and dates from around 1475. The work originates from an ancient stone church dedicated to St. Nicholas, located in the village of Gostinopol'e which was part of an ancient monastery near Novgorod, a city in north-west Russia, which was very old and important due to its strategic location and lively trade. Initially, the work was included in the level of the iconostasis, i.e. the wall made entirely of iconographies that, inside Orthodox sanctuaries, separates the aisles for the faithful from the apse where the altar is located. The iconostasis is usually composed of several superimposed levels of icons, each with its own theme. The second, starting at the bottom, is the feast register. In Gostinopol'e's iconostasis, the feast registry was intended to be accompanied by the prophets' registry with the same number of icons and positioned in the section below. The artists who painted the iconographies of the two registers, therefore, paired the depictions so that on each individual section a feast was painted in the lower part and the prophet in the upper part. The iconography is based on texts from the Gospels and apocryphal sources, i.e. texts not recognised by the official Church, but very interesting for the artists, who needed alternative elements to enrich the scenes to be depicted.

The work is located at the Gallerie d'Italia - Vicenza.

The compositional structure of the scene follows a strict hierarchical order: in the background is a large, angular, rocky mountain, triangular in shape, whose base corresponds to the underside of the iconography and whose summit, the peak, almost touches the upper side of the panel.

In the centre stands Mary, the most important figure in the narrative, around whom the other scenes, which do not follow a chronological order, are distributed.

This iconography, like all of Gostinopol'e’s iconographies reflects the artistic innovations of the time. The figures are small, there is a lot of space between them and the background is free and large.

The figures are portrayed with calm attitudes, their faces serene and pensive. The silhouettes, slender and gentle, are harmoniously outlined against the backdrop and the mountain. The scene is filled with subdued joy, an atmosphere of group prayer and immersed contemplation, characteristic of Russian iconographies in the 15th century.

Painted in the centre of the mountain is a dark cave, symbol of the Underworld. It is here, on the threshold, that the Mother of God stands, wrapped in a maphorion, a large purple cloak. She is lying on a red cloth that frames her body in the shape of an almond. On the left, outside the grotto, the three Magi represent the three ages of man: youth, adulthood and old age.

On the right, a young shepherd, dressed in a short tunic, is playing a long wind instrument, possibly a flute

On the lower right are two women: the first, seated on the ground, is holding the Child in her arms, the second is pouring water into the basin for the first bath.

Sitting on a rock, Joseph is wrapped in a cloak, his gaze pensive and worried. In front of him, standing, an old man dressed in skins stands on a stick.

At the top of the iconography perched on top of the mountain, is a rounded element, a symbol of the divine, from which three rays radiate down to illuminate the cave. On the sides, angelic figures come to welcome Christ: on the left, two angels point to the divine spring; on the right, an angel is bending towards Jesus in sign of adoration.